Just a thought that occurred to me in a number of e-mail discussions.
We all probably notice the value of humour (irony or otherwise) in communications, and we’ve probably all seen the pitfalls of misplaced / misunderstood humour in electronic communications, even with emoticons.
I can’t see any equivalent of negative irony. No concept of a statement that literally means less than it literally says. Deeper meaning that means a net reduction in literal meaning.
Misunderstanding is easier to spread than enhanced understanding. Memes must tend to reverse quality of knowledge unless they are able to spread important forms of tacit and hidden meaning as well as literal content. Lowest common denominators of “media” in mediated communications.
A statement of the obvious I guess.